This invention relates to an electronically actuated lock that mounts on the front door of a refrigerator to limit access to the refrigerator. The invention is more specifically directed to a refrigerator door lock that connects to a remote computer system, e.g., in a hospital or health care facility, to secure pharmaceuticals that need to be refrigerated, and to facilitate keeping an audit trail of access to the refrigerator. The invention may also be employed as an adjunct to a weight loss program.
In general, pharmaceuticals are delivered to patients when needed, and those that need to be kept refrigerated are stored in a refrigerator in the pharmacy of the hospital or other facility. However, it is more convenient and better use of the nurse's time and efforts to keep the pharmaceuticals at the patient locations, i.e., in the patient's room or ward, or in the cluster of rooms where the patient is located. However, those drugs that need refrigeration cannot simply be stored in a secured dispensing cabinet at the room or nurse station, but have to be kept in a refrigerator until needed. The refrigerator is either unsecured, or is kept locked with a key lock, with the key distribution limited only to certain persons in the nursing staff and pharmacy staff. Any record of access to the refrigerator would have to be maintained on a paper record, or by separately keying in information on separate computer work station. There is also no means provided to ensure that the refrigerator is kept locked, to alarm if the refrigerator is left open or unlocked, or to monitor the refrigerator's operating temperature.
Another object is to provide for notification, by electronic means (e.g., text message or email message), of the pharmacy department when the pre-specified environmental conditions within the refrigerator have not been met.
It would be desirable to employ a refrigerator as a pharmacy cabinet at the patient location in which medications that have been prescribed for a patient can be loaded by pharmacy staff and stored securely until administered to the patient, which will automatically keep track of access to the refrigerated cabinet, and which can be accessed by the nurse staff electronically (e.g., using wireless means). It is also desirable to ensure that the refrigerated cabinet is kept secure, and that the operating temperature is sufficiently cool. However, no measure exists, up to the present, to carry this out.
It is also desirable to integrate the refrigerator lock with the continuous monitoring of the internal temperature (and/or humidity) of the refrigerator, and to take steps to prevent materials from being distributed from the refrigerator if conditions indicate that the contents may potentially be compromised.
A similar problem exists for selectively locking and unlocking a food storage refrigerator at specific meal times in a weight loss or weight control problems.